BHUBANESWAR: Cyclonic storm Kyant is likely to head towards southern Andhra Pradesh and lose strength after a marginal intensification on Thursday.
Both India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC) said the system has shown signs of weakening after intensifying by Thursday. It is likely to continue its progress in the west-south-west direction and make landfall south of Machilipatnam.
“There are possibilities of the system weakening out at sea. Even if it hits land, it would have weakened,” said the director of IMD Odisha, Sarat Chandra Sahu.
However, in the next 24 hours, it is likely to gain force for a brief period at sea. Under its impact, the cloud bands of the system may reach south-coastal parts of Odisha which could result in some
showers. Wind speeds off the Gopalpur coast are forecast at 45 km per hour, IMD said.
The JTWC said the maximum wind accompanying the system may increase from 50 nautical miles on Wednesday to 60 nautical miles on Thursday. By Friday, it would have dropped significantly to 30 nautical miles, suggesting a gradual weakening.
Although an alert has been issued to coastal districts in Odisha, the state government was confident that the system will not cause any damage.